The Sunday Mercury notched up a notable sales success on the day that the Daily Star Sunday launched, crushing claims that the new national's arrival would have an adverse impact.

Powered by an aggressive campaign featuring exclusive news stories, extra sports pages, a major promotion and sales activity, the Birmingham-based Trinity Mirror title posted its biggest sales of the year so far.

The Mercury achieved a week-on-week base sales increase of 5.39 per cent, further adding to its success as the country's biggest regional Sunday and its remarkable run of industry awards.

Editor David Brookes said: "There were those who said that the arrival of a new national title would have a major impact on us. In fact, our sales went up by more than five per cent week-on-week.

"The success is down to the teamwork that makes the Sunday Mercury such a success. Everyone played their part from editorial to advertising, and from circulation to promotions - as indeed they do every week."

The title has been named Midland Newspaper Of The Year for the last three years running, and its reporters have won the region's News Journalist Of The Year title for five consecutive years.

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